You can send reminders to clients via SMS that they have upcoming sessions and/or forms to fill out.
SMS reminders are available in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. If you'd like us to add another region, please reach out.
Consent to SMS reminders
You need consent from clients to send text messages to their phones. Our Notice of Privacy Policies template covers sending SMS communications within using PII, or personal identifying information, to manage your practice ("PII: We may use Upheal to [...] manage our practice"). If you'd like to ask your clients more explicitly, you can include this statement in your forms:
We may send you automated text messages regarding your care, including appointment reminders and links to clinical forms. Standard message and data rates may apply. You can opt out at any time by replying STOP.*
* Applies only to SMS recipients in the US and Canada. In other regions, you as the provider would need to withdraw the client's consent to receive text messages.
Please note: This information is for guidance only and does not constitute legal advice.
Confirming consent to SMS reminders
You can confirm client consent to SMS reminders during new client setup, from the client's profile, and from your Settings.
SMS reminder consent when adding a new client:
When you're adding a client, click More options.
Enter the client's phone number, and a Consent for SMS reminders checkbox will appear underneath it.
Check the box, and consent is recorded. For more information, click Details.
Now, your new client can get SMS reminders.
SMS reminder consent from a client's profile:
Go to your client's profile.
On the right side, find the Consent section.
Beside SMS reminders, click Collect.
Check the box, and click Confirm consent.
Now, your client can receive SMS reminders.
SMS reminder consent from your settings:
If your switch on SMS reminders, and some of your clients don't yet have consent marked for them, you can handle it in your settings:
When you switch on SMS reminders, and some clients don't have consent collected, you'll see the message X clients without SMS consent. Click Manage.
Select the clients whose consent you have for SMS reminders, and click Continue.
Check the box, and click Confirm consent.
Withdrawing your client's consent for SMS reminders
To remove a client's consent to receive text messages from your records, and therefore stop sending them SMS reminders:
Go to your client's profile.
On the right side, under Consent, click Manage beside SMS reminders.
Uncheck the box, and click Withdraw consent.
Your client won't receive SMS reminders anymore. You can always re-confirm consent later if your client changes their mind via their client profile.
Setting up SMS reminders
You can send automated SMS reminders about upcoming sessions and/or forms that your clients need to fill out.
Session reminders via SMS: Your clients will receive reminders on the schedule you set. They won't receive an SMS when the session is initially scheduled, just an email.
Form reminders via SMS: Your clients will only receive the first reminder via SMS, and then following reminders will be sent by email (if selected). This is to prevent too many text messages.
To set up SMS reminders for upcoming sessions and forms:
In Settings, go to Client reminders.
Under Communication methods, check the SMS box(es) for the reminder type you'd like to send.
You need to have at least one communication method selected, email or SMS.
Your selection saves automatically.
Tip: Preview the reminder message by clicking the eye icon beside the checkbox.
How can my clients stop or restart SMS reminders?
If your clients are in the US or Canada, they can opt out and opt back in to SMS reminders themselves. Outside of those regions, you'll need to help by withdrawing their consent to receive text messages.
Your clients can always opt out of SMS reminders by replying STOP to any text message reminder they receive. CANCEL, END, OPTOUT, QUIT, REVOKE, STOPALL, and UNSUBSCRIBE will also work.
Clients can also restart the SMS reminders themselves by replying START, UNSTOP, or YES to the same number.
What happens if my client doesn't have a phone number in Upheal?
If you have SMS reminders turned on, but a client hasn't provided a phone number or consent, Upheal will automatically send those reminders via email instead, even if you don't have email selected as a communication method. This makes sure your clients don't miss any important messages about sessions and forms.